From the Shadows
by Rain's Song
Summary: A stranger suddenly appears in the Sohmas' lives. Without being told or shown, she already understands the Zodiac curse. She knows secrets that no one, not even the members of the Zodiac, know. Who is this woman? Why can't Hatori erase her memory? And why is she so protective of Tohru?
1. Prologue

Secret P.O.V.:

"_The moon and stars all shine brightly just for you._

_I wrap my arms so tight, dear child,_

_For I love you._

_The moon and stars will wave above our sleepy heads._

_Goodnight, child. Goodnight, dear friend." a voice sings out through the blackness. _

"_You sing so pretty," came another child's words._

"_Didn't you hear? The moon and stars say it's time to sleep!" the first giggles._

"_Goodnight. I love you."_

"_I love you too, little star." The words echo repeatedly throughout the dark, swirling all around me. They grow louder and louder until I'm sure my ears will bleed. I fight against the dark, trying to drown out the sound. _

_Without warning, the smallest sister appears in a random, jagged circle of sunlight. Her back is facing me. The noise stops. Yet I'm more terrified than ever. Slowly, painfully the child turns around, her eyes to the ground. I can't say a word. _

_Finally, she looks up at me for a solid minute before she begins to sob. Instinctively I dash towards her, but she holds up her tiny hand. I stop dead in my tracks and watch as her sobs become silent, her teary red eyes never leaving mine. Tears still flowing down her face, she cries, "Why? Why?!"_

"_What?" I demand, shaken._

"_Why did you do it?" she sobs, her little body shaking._

"_What did I do?" I beg. "What did I do?"_

_Suddenly, the child stops. Her eyes are clear and the tears have immediately dried off her face. Her body is no longer racked with shivers, but remains completely still. She takes a step towards me; I can't move. "You broke your promise."_

I woke up covered in sweat, and my breaths came in uneven pants. "No," I gasped. "No, no, no…" I'd had that same dream nearly every night for many years. Nothing ever changed. Each word remained the same. The little girl always cried but never let me comfort her. It chilled me to the core, and even though I'd had it literally hundreds of times, I still felt nauseous recalling it. "I promise," I whispered, tears springing to my eyes. "I'll keep you safe. I won't break my promise." Looking out the window, I knew that today would be one step closer to her, to protecting my last treasure. Even if it mean living in the shadows.

* * *

**A/N: **Hmmm...who is this character? Is it a new character, or someone we already know? And who is this mysterious little girl, and what happened to her? And how does this strange woman have anything to do with Yuki, Kyo, and the rest of the Sohmas? Keep reading to find out. :3

-I'll update tomorrow! :)

-Review? :D


	2. The Storm

Tohru's P.O.V.:

"I swear," Kyo growled, "every time you open your mouth, I- I just…ugh!" he finished in frustration, smacking the back of Momiji's head.

"Ow!" Momiji cried out pitifully. "Tohru! Kyo is hurting me again!"

"Will you just _shut up_ already?!"

Before Kyo could blow, Momiji ran to my side. "Help, Tohru! Help!" he begged.

I smiled down at the growing blonde-haired boy who now nearly matched my size. "Walk by me instead," I suggested, holding out my hand.

Momiji took it gladly. "Yay!" he cheered, a new bounce in his step.

I heard Kyo swear under his breath and mutter something along the lines of "you little brat…", but he let the boy go without losing his head.

I smiled as Momiji chattered like a little bird. I listened contently as Yuki, Hatsuharu, Kyo, Momiji, and I walked home. It was finally Friday and the air sang of the fresh autumn season. Leaves danced together on the ground and squirrels were burrowing away their nuts for winter. I could picture a happy future of cozy sweaters and warm drinks headed my way.

We reached Shigure's yard a few minutes later. I was still walking up the steps when I heard Yuki say, "What's this?" He paused before taking a piece of paper from its taped place on the door.

"What does it say?" Haru wondered.

Yuki read aloud, "I've been summoned to the main house. I should be back tomorrow, but I might get a little held up. If my editor arrives, please tell her to return on Monday (don't tell her where she might find me, as I will be extremely busy with Ayame and Hatori. It's very important, as you can imagine)! Oh, and Kyo, Yuki? Please don't break the house while I'm away!"

"All weekend?" Momiji repeated. "What could be that important?"

Worry jolted through me. "Oh, I hope everything is alright!" I squeaked.

"Yeah, yeah," Kyo shrugged, looking annoyed. "Everything's fine. Shigure just wants an excuse to mess around with Aya."

"You're probably right," Yuki agreed, rolling his soft purple eyes. "Come on. Let's just go inside." His eyes lingered on me, worried.

I forced myself to relax. After all, they were probably right. I worried too much. "Okay!" I agreed cheerfully.

"Wait." Haru commanded suddenly, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"What is it?" Yuki wondered. "Is something wrong?"

"Flip the note," he instructed his eyes somber.

"Why?" Kyo demanded.

"Just do it," the cow told Yuki somberly.

Obeying the order, Yuki did as he was told. "There _is_ one more thing written," he muttered. "It says, 'If Haru comes over, tell him the pizza money is in its usual spot.' It's usual spot?" Yuki echoed, eyebrow arched.

Haru ignored him. His eyes were suddenly light. "Yes!" he grinned, racing into the house.

"I hope you share!" Momiji called in after him as we entered the home.

Yuki just shook his head in response to his hungry cousin.

"Should I start dinner, then?" I hedged uncertainly.

"I've got it covered!" Haru's voice rang from Shigure's office.

"You mean Shigure's got it covered," snapped Kyo, heading towards his stairs. "Just tell me when the food gets here."

"Where are you going?" I asked, eyes widening. I had been hoping that we could all play a game together. But maybe something was bothering him?

The orange-haired neko turned his face toward me briefly. "I'm going to crash for a bit," he said, shrugging, "I can feel a storm coming." He shuddered at the thought of rain and began to climb the steps.

"Sweet dreams!" I cried after him, somewhat anxious.

"Tohru, Tohru!" Momiji's voice pulled me away from my worry. "Want to play a game with me?"

As Kyo predicted, the calm cloudy sky didn't last long. By the time the four boxes of pizza arrived, lightning had begun to flash through the darkening clouds. As we all settled in to eat, including a very sleepy Kyo, it began to rain.

"I hope this doesn't get any worse," he muttered darkly.

"What? Can't the kitty take a little bit of rain?" Yuki taunted quietly.

Kyo glared daggers at the rat, but was too drained to even reply.

"I, for one, love storms!" Momiji laughed happily before biting into his cheesy slice. "Don't you, Tohru?"

"I love the rain," I agreed, "but I don't really like the thunder and lightning much."

"Does it scare you?" Momiji demanded, looking concerned.

"Just a little," I smiled. "Don't worry. I'll be fine," I assured him.

"I'll protect you!" he vowed, his eyes determined. I giggled.

At that very moment, the sound of the light drizzle turned to the drumming of a downpour that overwhelmed all conversation. I froze. Maybe I was a _little_ more scared of the storms than I had thought!

"It's just rain," Haru commented to no one in particular. "Nothing to worry about."

I took a deep breath. "Nothing to worry about," I repeated to myself, trying to believe it.

"Besides," Yuki smiled gently at me, "we're safe as long as we're inside."

Thunder suddenly and violently shook the house. I let out a high pitched yelp as the lights flickered on and off before returning to their regular glow. "Fewf," Haru sighed in relief. "At least we still have-" Lightning flashed in the window which was immediately followed by a deafening roll of thunder. The bulbs gave a final shimmer of light before darkening completely. I screamed, hugging myself tightly. "—power."

"You just _had _to say it, didn't you?" Kyo asked.

Yuki ignored the cat's remark and observed, "I think that hit a power line. We probably won't have power for the rest of the night."

"The rest of the _night?_" I squeaked, squeezing my eyes together.

"Don't worry, Tohru," Momiji said, his joyful mood undeterred. "We'll make a game out of it!"

"A game?" Yuki echoed.

"What kind of a game?" Haru inquired.

And though I couldn't see him through the darkness, I just knew that Momiji was grinning.

* * *

**A/N:** I posted, just as promised! This chapter will be continued within the next day or two! :) Happy reviewing. x3


	3. Chapter 3

**May be scary to some audience members (ghost stories). **

* * *

"Well, if we're going to play a game," Yuki began, his voice calm and reassuring in the darkness, "we're going to need some light." I listened as he stood and walked down the hall.

"Who plays a _game_ during a storm like this?" Kyo mumbled. "It's so stupid. We should just eat pizza and stay quiet all night."

_Storms really put him in a terrible mood,_ I remembered, feeling a rush of sympathy for the cat. "If you'd like, you could go back to sleep," I suggested. "It might make you feel better."

"Who said anything was wrong with me?" snapped the neko, his eyes glowing through the black.

"Uh n-no one," I stammered. "I-I just thought that you were f-feeling a little under the weather. S-sorry," I apologized clumsily.

I heard Kyo rest his head on the table. "Don't be," he muttered with a quiet sigh.

I looked up when, out of the corner of my eye, a glow shimmered through the room. Yuki walked in, the light of a large candle illuminating his face and the room around him. "Yes," he said coolly, his eyes ice as they moved over the cat, "don't be."

Kyo's hair stood up straight on his neck and his muscles tensed up, but he didn't have the energy to do much more than lift his head and glare at the purple-haired rat.

"Can we play our game now?" Momiji begged as Yuki returned to his seat and set the candle on the table.

"That sounds like a great idea," Yuki smiled at the blonde-haired Somha.

"Yay!" Momiji cheered. "The game is called…camping!" he announced.

"That's not a game," Kyo pointed out, an edge to his voice.

"It is tonight!" Momiji replied, undeterred. "This candle will be our campfire."

"Alright, what else do we need?" I smiled.

"Well, we'll need to set up camp later," Momiji said slowly, "but that can wait!"

"Camp?" Kyo raised an eyebrow.

"Are you two staying over tonight?" Yuki asked, looking slightly surprised.

"Well, I'm not walking home in this," Haru stated calmly.

Yuki nodded. "You can take Shigure's bed, then," he told the cow.

"No!" Momiji exclaimed, eyes wide. "That _wouldn't_ be camping."

"This _isn't _camping," Kyo mumbled.

"What did you have in mind?" Haru wondered, leaning back.

"You'll see!" Momiji laughed. "Right now, we need to use our campfire."

"We can't exactly cook on it," I frowned.

"That's okay," Momiji grinned. "We can do other things!"

"We can?" I asked, perplexed. What else was a fire good for?

His eyes widened. "Have you ever been camping before?" he demanded.

"Of course I have!" I assured him with a laugh.

"Ms. Honda? I'm not sure _living_ in the woods really counts," Yuki hedged politely.

"Oh," I said lamely. "Then, I guess not, Momiji!"

"Then tonight will be 'Tohru's and Momiji's Special Camping Trip!'" Momiji proclaimed.

"What? Are we not invited or something?" muttered Kyo, rolling his eyes.

"So what else can we use our campfire for?" I smiled at Momiji.

Lightning suddenly flashed, followed by a boom of thunder that shook the entire house. I squealed again and listened as a Haru whispered, "Scary stories."

"S-scary stories?" I stammered, my eyes darting up to the black-and-white haired boy.

"I don't know if Tohru would like that," Yuki objected.

"She'll be fine!" Momiji smiled. "Won't you, Tohru?"

"S-sure!" I stuttered.

"You don't have to do this," Yuki reminded me.

I felt my determination wax. More bravely now, I replied, "I can do this!"

"Besides, I'll protect you!" Momiji exclaimed. I laughed shakily. "Who knows a good ghost story?" he asked.

"Oh, I do!" I volunteered eagerly.

Kyo raised a doubting eyebrow.

"Okay, you go first, Tohru!" Momiji grinned.

"Wait; is this even a _scary _ghost story?" Kyo asked me.

I felt my cheeks burn. "Well…it's a _ghost_ story…but…it's not particularly _scary, _I suppose."

"Is it about a _friendly_ ghost?" Momiji asked cheerfully.

"On second thought," I glanced down at my hands, embarrassed. "Could someone else tell the story?"

"You can still tell yours-" Yuki tried to object.

"I have a story," Haru interrupted darkly, staring at the candle coolly.

I lifted my face towards him.

"Tell us, Haru! Tell us!" Momiji begged.

"It all started a very long time ago," the cow began. "There once was a lady in a village. Her name was Aoi. She was the most beautiful woman in town. Every girl wanted her beauty, and every man wanted her hand in marriage. Aoi, however, did not seem interested. She cared not for marriage at all, it seemed, but only her fair garden. She politely refused proposal after proposal until one day…

"Aoi was once again seen tending her garden. A young man came to her yard and stood, watching. Aoi asked him if he needed any sort of help, but the man refused. He said that he was there only to see her magnificent plants. 'You are a talented gardener,' he told her. 'You are so gentle with each seed and leaf. That is how I was once.'

"'You are a gardener?' Aoi asked the stranger.

"'I am,' he confirmed, smiling at the young lady. 'My name is Riku.'

"The two soon fell in love, and began to plan their wedding ceremony. This angered many villagers. Men were furious that they had not won Aoi's heart, and pleaded with her to change her mind. Men were not the only ones who were mad.

"Another young woman named Akumu was very jealous of Aoi. You see, Akumu believed herself to be in love with Riku. She couldn't bear the thought of losing him to any woman, not even Aoi. So she hatched a plan to end the wedding once and for all.

"One evening, on the night of a full moon, Akumu hid herself in the forest near the path that Aoi would walk at dusk. She waited carefully until she could see the fair lady walking down the path. Akumu jumped out and attacked Aoi. After a struggle, she had Aoi trapped on the grass.

"'Hear my song, so all might cry that little Aoi died tonight,' hissed Akumu with a wicked smile.

"'Please, spare me,' Aoi pled.

"'I'll take care of my Riku,' Akumu whispered in the girl's ear with a grin. 'Sleep well.'

I felt myself shake next to Momiji. No! Aoi couldn't die! What would happen to poor Riku?

"And with that, Akumu plunged the knife into Aoi's heart. Once Riku's soon-to-be bride was dead, Akumu began to wonder how she could hide the dead woman. After some deliberation, she decided to cut up the body, and hide each piece somewhere different. She buried the arms in the forest, away from the trail. She hid the under the bank of the river. She put the legs under her own cottage. And, for her final revenge, she stuck the head beneath the plants in Aoi's garden."

My stomach twisted violently, and I could feel my teeth chatter. Who could do such a terrible thing?

"Akumu went back home and washed up. After changing into a new dress, she burned the bloody garments she had worn that night. When the village awoke, they soon noticed that the young gardener was not out with her vegetables as was custom. They asked Riku, her future husband, if he had seen her. Worried, he told them that he hadn't. As the day went on, the villagers were becoming more suspicious. They knocked on her door on three separate occasions before entering on their own. All they found was an empty cottage and a lonely garden.

"As the weeks passed, many villagers began to believe that Aoi had run away, afraid of marrying Riku. The poor young man was miserable. He grieved for the loss of Aoi, wishing to believe that she couldn't have left him on purpose."

Don't believe it, Riku! I wanted to cry.

"Months passed before Akumu made her next move. She comforted the lonely man the best she could, and soon, after nearly a year of waiting for Aoi, he had asked for her hand in marriage. They planned to be wed under the light of the full moon, out under the stars. They decided it would be best to do so in Riku's garden.

"The night of the full moon came swiftly. Akumu was just dressing in the bride's room when she heard a soft creaking noise. She stopped for a brief moment before continuing on. She was putting up her hair when she heard it again. She ignored it once more and began to put powder on her face. She heard the creaking noise once more, and this time it was louder. She turned around. 'Hello?' she called, annoyed. Who could be bothering her on the night of her wedding? It stopped. She was just about to look back at the mirror when she heard it a final time: a creak and a thud. It was coming from the door! She glanced at the door, and, to her horror, it was shaking. Because, underneath the door, was a bloody, dirt-stained hand shaking the frame. Akumu shrieked.

"The door flew open suddenly. There stood Aoi. Her hair was matted, and each body part seemed to be crudely stitched back onto her torso: except her bloody hand, which was still twitching on the floor. Aoi's dress was savagely ripped and filled with dried blood. Her eyes were unfocused and cloudy."

I reached out for Momiji's hand.

"'I'm dreaming!' yelled Akumu, pinching herself.

"Aoi's eyes snapped back into focus and she turned her head slowly toward her murderer. She began to sing incoherently under her breath.

"'No!' screamed Akumu. 'You're not welcome here!'

"Aoi sang a little louder, taking a step towards the pale bride.

"Akumu pressed her back against the wall. She was trapped. 'Leave me in peace!' she sobbed.

"Aoi just smiled, and sang louder. Finally, as she took the last steps towards Akumu, her words could be understood. 'Hear my song, so all might cry that little Akumu died tonight!'

"Akumu sobbed, screaming as tears rolled down her cheeks. 'Stop! Stop!'

"Aoi smiled wider, her eyes turning black as she chanted, 'Hear my song, so all might cry that little Akumu died tonight! Hear my song, so all might cry that little Akumu died tonight!'

"When the guests heard the screams, they soon rushed into the bride's room. But all that was left of Akumu was her head and the blood that was splattered on the walls.

"It is said that on dark nights, when the moon is full, Aoi searches the forest for her lost lover. But beware: she is will continue to kill each full moon until she is reunited with Riku once more."

The lights flickered on for a brief moment and slammed back off again. I shrieked shrilly, hiding my face in my hands. The whole house shook once more, as if Aoi was sitting under the floorboards, trying to capture our attention…

"Tohru? Tohru, are you alright?" Momiji's worried voice fluttered above me.

I looked up shakily. "Y-yes," I told him. "I'm f-fine."

"Then why are you crying?" Kyo demanded.

I touched my face. To my surprise, it was wet. "Oh!" I exclaimed in surprise, wiping away my tears. "I didn't even realize! I'm fine, really!" I promised, jumping as the house shook again.

"I think that's enough ghost stories for one night," Yuki decided swiftly.

"What's next, Momiji?" I asked, trying to make my voice stronger.

Momiji laughed. "One moment!" He ran off into the dark side of the house. A few minutes later, he returned covered in blankets and bed mats.

"Hey!" Kyo exclaimed. "Who gave you permission to do that?"

"Well, we can't go to sleep until we set up camp!" came the rabbit's muffled voice.

I stood up with a giggle. "We sure can't!" I agreed, taking off some of the sheets and mats from Momiji's shorter body.

We laid the mats close together on the ground and laid hordes of blankets on top. When "camp" was all put up, Momiji turned back to me and held out my pajamas. "Here, Tohru! I got these for you! I knew you were too scared to go back upstairs!"

"You went through her clothes?" demanded Kyo, his face reddening. "Why you little pervert!"

"Thank you, Momiji!" I thanked the blonde-haired boy happily before glancing down the hall. It was so dark! And the bathroom seemed so far away.

"Don't be worried, Tohru!" Momiji grinned. "I'll walk you to the bathroom and wait for you outside so that you can change, and if anything scares you, I'll chase it away!"

Tears welled up in my eyes. Did he really care for me that much? I nodded in agreement before we ventured down the hall.

We returned a few minutes later. My hair was down and my warm pajamas felt soft against my skin. I settled down on the floor beside Momiji. Kyo was already snoring, and Yuki and Haru were talking together quietly. The blonde-haired boy yawned widely as he set his head down on his arm. "Tohru, we forgot something!" he said groggily.

"What is it?" I asked, my eyes heavy.

"Our campfire songs!" he yawned.

"Are those important?" I wondered.

Momiji nodded sleepily. I smiled a sleepy grin. "I don't know any special camp songs," I told him, "but I do know a good lullaby."

"Sing it!" Momiji begged as eagerly as he could.

"The moon and stars all shine brightly just for you.

I wrap my arms so tight, dear child,

For I love you.

The moon and stars will wave above our sleepy heads.

Goodnight, child. Goodnight, dear friend," I sang softly, my eyes closed.

"Goodnight, Tohru," Momiji took my hand.

"Goodnight, little star."

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry this is late. :P I started a new job, and things got crazy. Another reason that it's late is this: I wanted to make sure it was good. xD So, did you like it? What are your thoughts?

Review, please? :3


End file.
